I've upgrate to synaptic 0.55.1 and the toolbar properties aren't working.
I go to Config > Toolbar:
- Only icons: don't work
- Only text: don't work
- Icons over text: don't work
- Text next to icons: don't work
- Hide: WORKS!

Unless i hide the toolbar, it shows icons over text.
(Sorry about the options translations, but i'm using synaptic in spanish.)